This is an interesting example of an established American animal rescue operation, linked to Petfinder.com, with a decent website that operated “under the radar” meaning in violation of the local law (ordinance) that residents must only keep a maximum of five animals on the property.
This is a person trying to do some good while at the same time doing wrong both in respect of the law and in the way she operated. She failed to cope and I have a feeling that she might have been in it for the money because most of the cats were kept in an unlit basement. The cats (41 of them) lived in poor conditions and have been seized by the police. The owner refused to release the cats to the local authority.
Her name is Anette Traore. If I not mistaken this is a screenshot of her website.
She had helpers. The website shows a number of dogs for adoption as well, yet the news story makes no mention of dogs. I suspect they are living in another house owned by the partners and the police should also have a look at those homes.
I couldn’t find an address on the website. The address provided is a PO Box number. Neither could I find a telephone number. Contact is made by email. There is a lack of transparency which is unsurprising as the operation was illegal. Although there is no news about prosecution or whatever. Therefore, strictly speaking, this is an allegation at the present time.
The photos of the cats and dogs for adoption on Petfinder are quite nice – good conditions etc.. The photos were taken in a local pet store it seems to me. Or something like that. Once again an apparent lack of transparency.
It is a shame. I suspect it is impractical or financially nonviable for an individual to start up an animal rescue operation from a dedicated facility that probably requires a licence, forcing people to operate from home. Perhaps something should be done about that.
It’s easy to get carried away with animal rescue and bite off more than you can chew I stopped taking dogs in when people blackmailed me into it saying they’d have to get rid,they got a piece of my mind instead.
I only have a few cats now and know my limits and anyone asking me to take more in gets a lecture on responsibility instead that you can’t just dump animals on someone else when it suits you.
I feel sorry for those cats shut in that basement in poor conditions but I hope they haven’t got PTS now they don’t deserve that.
Adorable kitties! I love Amy’s ears and the little ears on the little torti at the bottom. God, I’m such an ear person!
Thanks. I’m one of the lucky ones that can get help with adopting out my “dumps” from a couple of private rescue groups. I, definitely, have my limits.
I have posted signs that clearly state that I will pursue an arrest and procecution as animal abandonment is a felony. I, also, have 2 security cameras just because of this issue.
It’s better than it used to be, but there are some very clever people that ignore signs and dump outside camera view.
recognition from other places isn’t always a good reference as I am sure SPCA didn’t see the conditions the cats were kept in. As you say Dee at least the funds were spent on neutering etc which shows she was trying but fact remains she should not have chose to keep cats in such conditions as to what she should do with so many dumping my advice would have been to contact other agencies. Sometimes collectors think they are the only ones who can care for the cats when that simply isn’t the case.